The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) and the firm VnTrip recently signed an agreement on building a database of 360 degree pictures of tourism destinations.

The move is expected to promote Vietnamese tourism and attract more foreign tourists. The database will be connected with the Southeast Asia and global tourism systems to form a smart tourism management model.

Addressing the signing ceremony in Hanoi on September 12, VNAT Vice Director Ha Van Sieu said Vietnam is an attractive destination for foreign tourists. The country has received the “Asia’s Leading Destination” award from the World Travel Awards, he noted.

Sieu stressed that the fourth industrial revolution has affected all aspects of life, including tourism. He said that the VNAT has paid much attention to applying technology in tourism promotion in all markets, while backing projects and programmes using high technologies.

Under the deal, the VNAT and VnTrip will work together in applying 360 degree picture technology in tourism, while building a VnTrip application to access the 360 degree pictures, providing communications technology solutions in tourism, enhancing the efficiency of online tourism promotion and introducing digital products serving tourists.

The VnTrip 360 project aims to supply online services to tourists in a convenient manner at low prices.

Over the years, VnTrip and the VNAT have collaborated in many tourism campaigns, events and programmes such as “Super Selfie,” and #WhyVietnam, which use social networks in tourism promotion.